Retired QB Henry Burris says losing Redblacks lacking leadership

The way Henry Burris sees the situation, the 2017 Ottawa Redblacks are not the same as the Redblacks of 2015 or 2016.

So, the retired quarterback advises fans to take a deep breath and just wait a little while for this year’s squad to develop the kind of leadership that led the way to regular-season records of 12-6-0 and 8-9-1, two first-place finishes in the Canadian Football League’s East Division and then losing and winning performances in the Grey Cup game.

This year’s Redblacks have just one victory and a tie in their first seven contests, with those five agonizing losses coming by a total of just 13 points.

On Sunday afternoon, Burris tweeted: “You can’t take the leadership of a team away and expect the same results. This is not the same Redblacks team from the past two years!!!”

You can't take the leadership of a team away and expect the same results. This is not the same Redblacks team from the last two years!!!

Ten of the 24 players who started on offence and defence for the Redblacks in the 39-33 overtime victory against the Calgary Stampeders in the Grey Cup contest at Toronto last November are no longer with the club, two others are injured, and a number of others listed as backups that day are also gone.

Among the most notable departures is that of Burris himself, obviously, but he listed those of defensive backs Abdul Kanneh (free agent to Hamilton) and Forrest Hightower (free agent to the NFL, then Edmonton), slotback Ernest Jackson (free agent to Montreal), defensive tackle Moton Hopkins (retired), linebacker Damaso Munoz (released, then retired) and offensive lineman J’Micheal Deane (free agent to Toronto).

As well, wide receiver Chris Williams, who missed the end of last season because of injury, was not re-signed before joining the B.C. Lions as a free agent.

“These were some of the top voices in the locker-room, but also some the top playmakers on the team and in the league,” Burris said in a telephone interview later Sunday.

Burris, a 42-year-old who announced his retirement as a player in January, said he knew that everybody in Ottawa wanted to see the Redblacks win “because that’s how much we love the team. For me to say what I said today was more (about) the fact that don’t expect the same results, especially with all the changes.

“With inconsistency in the locker-room comes inconsistency on the field. It will take time to build consistency as far as keeping the same guys around, and that’s what you’re seeing right now.”

Burris was out of town on Friday, so he didn’t see the Redblacks let a fourth-quarter lead slip away en route to a 33-30 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on a last-play field goal by Justin Medlock, but he said Sunday that he followed the contest online and was receiving text updates from people in Ottawa.

“They do have the talent to win, but sometimes you have to grow that glue that, when things start to come unravelled, can bring the team back together,” Burris said. “Right now that’s one of the biggest things that they need to ensure.”

Sunday’s tweets, Burris said, weren’t the first time he had talked about the impact that roster churn would have on leadership and the Redblacks’ ability to produce victories.

There’s also nothing wrong with setting high expectations for a team coming off a Grey Cup victory and the hope of playing in the 2017 championship game on home turf in late November, he added.

It just takes time.

“They’re not far away. They’re right there,” on the verge of success, Burris said. “You just want to see them get over that hump sooner than later.”

A year ago, coming off a Grey Cup game loss against the Edmonton Eskimos, the Redblacks made a strong start, fell flat for most of the rest of the schedule, but still finished first in the East before beating the Eskimos in the division final and then defeating the Calgary Stampeders to claim the franchise’s first CFL title and Ottawa’s first since that of the 1976 Rough Riders.

Burris famously heard and felt a pop in his left knee during the pre-game warm-up at Toronto’s BMO Field, but received treatment and ran onto the field just before game time. He then played a starring role for the Redblacks, capped by a touchdown pass to Jackson for the winning touchdown in overtime.

He now works in television and radio, most notably as a co-host on CTV Morning Live.

“I’m happily retired.. but look at all the names that led and made plays for us to get us into and win the Grey Cup. They’re not here anymore,” he said in a second tweet on Sunday.

I'm happily retired.. but look at all the names that led and made plays for us to get us into and win the Grey Cup. They're not here anymore

Asked in the telephone interview to confirm again that he had indeed thrown his last pass as a quarterback, Burris responded: “Oh yeah. I’m done, done, done. I’m finished. Finito.”

The Redblacks play next at home on Thursday night against the Eskimos.

“Losing the same freaking way every time, it’s definitely tough,” linebacker Taylor Reed said following Friday’s defeat against the Blue Bombers. “Toward the end, somebody has to make plays: offence, special teams or defence. We’ve been in this situation before.

“I can’t stress enough that we have to make plays. Defensively, we can’t be happy just forcing them to field goals. We have to force turnovers. We have to do better.”

On Sunday evening, Burris added another tweet repeating his faith in the Redblacks’ ability to get on an upwardly mobile path.

Its going to take time but they're not far away!! This team will clear the hump and be there when it matters most..

This Week's Flyers

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.